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Elsa Ferguson
Hello!
My name is Elsa, I am an experienced and compassionate 200hr TI-CYT trauma-informed yoga instructor with a degree in Women, Gender, & Sexuality studies and Psychology from Barnard College. I specialize in the neuroscience of trauma and feminist approaches to care. I am also a dedicated abortion doula.
Through trauma-informed yoga, I found deep healing from complex trauma and a powerful reconnection to my own aliveness. This experience, shaped by both my past and my vision for a more healed future, inspired me to create Dear Light Yoga Studio, a space for accessible trauma-informed yoga offered both virtually and in person.
I am passionate about sharing the transformative benefits of this practice and am committed to creating a space where you feel wholeheartedly seen and supported.
In our sessions, you'll be invited to explore a trauma-informed yoga sequence combined with meditation, somatic healing practices, breathwork, and journaling.
Accessible Pricing
sliding-scale rates for both private and group
sessions — online and in person.
Community Care
We build inclusive spaces, creating real community in healing.
Expertise Trauma-Informed Yoga & Psychology
Every session is rooted in research, compassion,
and healing
What is Trauma-Informed Yoga?
“Trauma permeates all aspects of one's lived experience: physical, psychological, mental, behavioral, social, and spiritual. Trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness practices offer modalities to help heal the whole person.”
- Zabie Yamasaki
What are some of the major goals of trauma-informed yoga?
Trauma-informed yoga recognizes the prevalence of trauma in society and intentionally creates a healing space where people are invited to feel and be exactly as they are. This practice is designed to meet people where they are, providing a safe and welcoming space for individuals to reconnect with their bodies at
their own pace.
Trauma-informed yoga is rooted in empowerment—every movement, every pose is an invitation to make this practice truly your own. By offering variations and encouraging participants to
explore what feels best for them, this practice cultivates a sense of
agency. The sequences are thoughtfully designed to titrate the nervous system through a gentle ebb and flow, balancing moments of activation with deep, restorative calm.
This process not only reduces the impact of triggers but also helps release trauma that may be stored in the body. The trauma-informed lens is applied to traditional vinyasa, hatha, and yin practices. It also weaves together a combination of these styles to create a slow-flow sequence.
To find safety and resilience in the body
Access resourcing tools for soothing the nervous system and responding to stress
To gently strengthen our capacity to sit with, and release, difficult sensations or emotions without experiencing overwhelm or retraumatization
To become a closer listener to our internal somatic cues and the guidance they provide
To encourage agency and empowerment
To cultivate more awe in the present moment
This practice helps us truly honor the wisdom of our bodies, listening more closely to our internal somatic cues.
Other noticeable benefits include improved emotional regulation, better self-acceptance, and a reawakening to the body’s innate capacity for intuitive healing, connection, and joy!
What are some of the benefits of trauma-informed yoga?
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